Louis-Michel Le Peletier

Louis-Michel le Peletier, marquis de Saint-Fargeau (29 May 1760-20 January 1793) was a revolutionary French politician. He was known as the deciding 361st vote of the National Convention’s vote on the execution of King Louis XVI of France, although he originally fought to abolish the death sentence.

Biography
Peletier was born to a well-known family in Paris, France. Peletier was of noble birth, and became a member of Francois de la Serre’s Templar Order, although he was not responsible for De la Serre’s assassination. Peletier entered into politics by becoming an avocet (lawyer) in the employ of the Place du Chatelet prison, and in 1785 he was advanced to avocet-general. In 1789 he was elected to the Parlement de Paris, and became a deputy of the noblesse to the States-General.

Initially, he was a conservative, but he later became a radical. In July 1789 he called for the recall of Jacques Necker as the financial minister, and in the Constituent Assembly he moved the abolition of the death penalty, believing in the substitution of beheading for hanging. He won great popularity due to his attitude and on 21 June 1790 he became president of the Constituent Assembly, remaining in the post until 5 July. In 1791 he was elected President of the General Council for the Yonne Department in 1791 and was elected as a deputy to the National Convention. While in the assembly, he was in favor of the execution of King Louis XVI of France, the deciding 361st vote, after being persuaded by Louis-Philippe II of Orleans to do so. He also was in favor of a Spartan education, supported by Robespierre.

On the eve of King Louis’ execution on 20 January 1793, Le Peletier was tracked down to a restaurant in the Palais Royal by Arno Dorian, a member of the French Assassins. Le Peletier attempted to flee through the crowded café, but was cornered in an office room and stabbed in the back by Dorian with his hidden blades.